This is a Bad Hockey Team: Part 2

[Bluenote13]

I feel the same way about how the 3 losses went. In 82 games last season, there were maybe 2 or 3 games where I felt the team laid down without any fight.

Thats already happened 2 or 3 times this season.

Whats changed?

No trainging camp. Flicking the switch on the season got everyone hyped but its harder than it looks. This team plays an aggressive system, you can't just expect it to all come together without working out the bugs.

No camp really put some teams behind the eight ball, but its never how you start, its the finnish...I mean finish

An energy player. One of our best defensive forwards and penalty killers. The captain of the team. And a guy who scored 29 goals last year.

Maybe you should sit the next couple of plays out...

Press boxes to all these sproutling posters

 

[Jabroni]

I dont.

Sorry, should've quoted the correct poster. This was in response to Callagraves.

 

[bubba5]

This team Looks Like they skate in quick sand.

 

[Callagraves]

But Dubinsky and Anisimov were? How do you figure that?

I absolutely believe Dubi and Artie, especially Dubi, were core players. And I think if you look back a year, you'll find the entire board said so.

Dubi, Cally, Stepan, Staal, Artie, McD, Girardi, Hank. That was the core, 'less I'm forgetting someone. No, there's no high end scoring there, and you can't win cups with just that +Gabby, but what we had was depth. We could put players like Dubinsky and Anisimov out there and give another 2 lines time to rest. Now our top six is upgraded, but out 3rd line is worse off than many fourth lines!

I get it. The price for Nash was our 3rd/2nd line. We went out and got Pyatt, a move which I liked, and We're asking Boyle to be a 3rd line center. I don't think it was a good idea to let Feds go, and I would have rather they bought out or traded Rupp and overpaid Prust.

 

[Bluenote13]

Accurate.

Thats good. Need to change Fowler to Tarasenko though.

 

[McRanger]

OK I'm practically Callahan's lawyer on these boards but let me say, he's playing like ass soup. I can't defend him right now.

That being said, he started just as poorly last season: only 2 goals in his first 7 games, only 3 points in his first 9. He ended up with 17 goals and 19 assists after 48 games.

Can't argue with that. He hasn't looked particuarly good. At all.

But like you said he will bounce back. Honestly, aside from the injuries that usually result from playing such a gritty game all the time, nothing about Callahan ever really worries me.

Edit: And I love the phrasing of the bolded.

 

[Holocene]

But Dubinsky and Anisimov were? How do you figure that?

Seriously, you didn't consider Dubi part of our core? People do a lot of stroking for Callahan but Dubinsky was way more important to our team when they first came up. I think some of you were a little jaded after he held out but the guy fit our team's identity to a t and was definitely part of our youth movement.

 

[Dangleberry]

As it stands right now, Dubi was the heart of our forecheck and we've lost every bit of that and it shows.

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

Lets just say we kept dubi, a.a, prust, and fedotenko and had the same start ????. How many of you would be complaining that we did nothing his offseason and we should have made a trade.

 

[Jim Ramsay]

It is still too early to go off the deep end and say that this is a bad team...

I do think that they have had some tough matchups to start the season but there are a few things that have to be concerning.

-Lack of ability to do much of any thing on the powerplay. Need to find ways to get more from the point and not sit back as much.

-Hagelin now hasn't scored in I believe over 30 games and Kreider looks like he is just not ready right now.... I'm wondering what they are going to do with the top 6 since these two dont look like the answer AT THIS TIME.

-Playing Nash/Gaborik/Richards on a line just isn't a good idea, there is nothing left after that line that is any way a threat.

-Even though they do have some points I think overall Callahan and Richards have looked poor. Richards just looks out of shape and lethargic and Callahan has been making absolutely TERRIBLE decisions with the puck. One of his turnovers last night led to a goal and I'm getting really tired of his behind the back passes to nobody.

-They have to have players that look like they are NHL caliber in the bottom 6. This interchanging of a Newbury/bickel like player just isn't going to work. I'll take an old Jason Arnott right now besides seeing these two try and be capable every day players, its just not there for them....

-Yes you can say that we lost depth in Dubinsky, Anisimov, Fedotenko, Prust and Mitchell but inserting Nash, Pyatt, Asham, Halpern shouldn't be too much of a tradeoff....

I really think that Sather and Torts were banking on Hagelin and Kreider being top 6 players and at this point it doesn't seem to be the case and it throwing huge problems in forming capable lines.

 

[Jersey Girl]

3-3-3 was the low point of last season....but 3-3-3 looks pretty good right now!

They'll get their act together...Nash is much better than I thought, we still have Hank, and we have LOTS of home games coming up...12 of the next 17.

Things will look much prettier in early March....they better!

While I've always disagreed with those 'anything can happen in the playoffs' people and valued a high playoff seed, I think this year is an anomaly. Just getting into the playoffs will be more important this year than any other year.

 

[RangersFan]

their is little forgiveness in the current style, no room for error. this leads them to play scared on their heels. you see it with every chip out to no one, every dump to no one. torts has burned it into their minds to move the puck up the ice at all costs they often forgo the extra second to make a nice outlet pass to start a rush, in favor of freely handing the puck away with a chip out or shallow dump. this has led to a style devoid of instinct and natural feel.

it's a style that makes sense for a team with less skill up front and strong in the net like they once were. i really do believe the skill level is there where they can play a riskier puck possession style game.

another d-man would be great, but i feel mcd and mdz's games have really grown, despite the poor start those 2 have played well. i'd like to see anton and mdz at the points on the pp, and richards down low, at least until richards finds his game.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

Hey guys, guess what. Last year's Stanley Cup champs are 0-2, and have been outscored 8-3.

All the Chicken Little's here need to calm down.

LOL chicken littles!? I've heard little chicadee's but it's usually meant in a more endearing tone then I'm sure you want to use.

I definitely want to give this team 10 games first. Plenty of practice, time to get chemistry tie for the coaching staff to get its message to the noobs. We did face Boston twice and Pitt once. Both teams could finish 1/2 in the east so I really am fine with the losses. Rather blow ur worst games of the season early on the best teams and then get our act together and steamrol the league so we finish with more points....or honestly I'm fine with a 6 seed.

I did the same thing with the Jets after they blew out Buffalo I said wait 5 games before declaring a Lombardi Trophy winner...I didn't een have to wait 3 to find out how bad the team really was...hopefully with the rangers it'll be the oppossite.

That said last year they blew he first few games. They looked eaten down, physically and mentally exhausted. They've had the same loo in these games excpt for Boston when they finally had rest practice time and a victory.

 

[Cmox]

I don't think this start is a big deal but I'm sure due to the shortened season some fans are treating it knowing time isn't something to be had.

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

Lets just say we kept dubi, a.a, prust, and fedotenko and had the same start ????. How many of you would be complaining that we did nothing his offseason and we should have made a trade.

One other thing Rick Nash is the best forward we've had (Besides Jagr) in over ten years. We have him for the next half a decade after this year. We still have lundqvist, we have an amazing D core. Gab's contract is off the cap next year, so is reddens. 2 mega stars, a cup caliber D (I think McD is a norris candidate and Staal may become one though he isn't one yet) and millions in space to fill out the bottom 6?

Sign me up dude the trade might hurt chemistry this year but we are set for many years imo. I wish we had traded Stepan instead of Anisimov though. I have never really seen Stepan do much out there. Maybe my eyes just aren't good or I'm not looking for the right stuff but I really don't think much of him.

The Richards contract scares me but if it goes bad one bad contract is manageable. Hopefully Hrivik, Hagelin, Kreider, Fasth, Lindberg, Miller, McIlrath...between them we'll get 2 or 3 regulars by next year to join Nash, Rich, the D and Hank who will all still be there.

 

[Zil]

LOL chicken littles!? I've heard little chicadee's but it's usually meant in a more endearing tone then I'm sure you want to use.

Uh, might wanna do some reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_Little

 

[Drewbackatu*]

One other thing Rick Nash is the best forward we've had (Besides Jagr) in over ten years. We have him for the next half a decade after this year. We still have lundqvist, we have an amazing D core. Gab's contract is off the cap next year, so is reddens. 2 mega stars, a cup caliber D (I think McD is a norris candidate and Staal may become one though he isn't one yet) and millions in space to fill out the bottom 6?

Sign me up dude the trade might hurt chemistry this year but we are set for many years imo. I wish we had traded Stepan instead of Anisimov though. I have never really seen Stepan do much out there. Maybe my eyes just aren't good or I'm not looking for the right stuff but I really don't think much of him.

The Richards contract scares me but if it goes bad one bad contract is manageable. Hopefully Hrivik, Hagelin, Kreider, Fasth, Lindberg, Miller, McIlrath...between them we'll get 2 or 3 regulars by next year to join Nash, Rich, the D and Hank who will all still be there.

I agree with you on Nash and Lundqvist but our "amazing defense" scares exactly no one in the league.
We have to hope and pray that McIIrath develops into the big, tough nasty crease clearing defenseman that we haven't had here in 15 years and that Miller will eventually become our 2nd line center.
Unfortunately, right now we are too easy to play against!

 

[bubba5]

Love how the devils lose a star and can't lose. We get one and we are hoping for a turnaround sometime in the future.

 

[Dorado*]

AA at least had a long body , was a better skater , and probably a bigger upside than Stepan . Step doesn't look to be anywhere near as athletic as AA . He has good vision and can make some nifty passes but he waddles like a 2 yr old with a loaded diaper up the ice .

 

[NikC]

3-3-3 was the low point of last season....but 3-3-3 looks pretty good right now!

They'll get their act together...Nash is much better than I thought, we still have Hank, and we have LOTS of home games coming up...12 of the next 17.

Things will look much prettier in early March....they better!

While I've always disagreed with those 'anything can happen in the playoffs' people and valued a high playoff seed, I think this year is an anomaly. Just getting into the playoffs will be more important this year than any other year.

+1 agree

 

[Dorado*]

I agree with you on Nash and Lundqvist but our "amazing defense" scares exactly no one in the league.
We have to hope and pray that McIIrath develops into the big, tough nasty crease clearing defenseman that we haven't had here in 15 years and that Miller will eventually become our 2nd line center.
Unfortunately, right now we are too easy to play against!

Despite their money and attendance problems the NJD have been and appear to be a model o consistency in the NHL . It doesn't hurt that Deboer is 10 x the coach that Torts is . Don't give me Jack Adams BS either , only award that matters is the cup and Torts bolts cup was in the past .

 

[Dorado*]

Adams finalist as well not even winner Jack Adams ,more Like Jack Mehoffer

 

[NikC]

AA at least had a long body , was a better skater , and probably a bigger upside than Stepan . Step doesn't look to be anywhere near as athletic as AA . He has good vision and can make some nifty passes but he waddles like a 2 yr old with a loaded diaper up the ice .

lol, that's hysterical... i wonder if we let the wrong one go as well when it comes to Stepan/Anisimov, but they deemed Stepan "untouchable" so i'll defer to the coach/staff on this call.

I don't think AA was a "Torts" guy, he just didn't seem to get it sometimes. AA had flashes of brilliance, but overall his play would trail off. I think his unfortunate habit of skating continually with his head down may shorten his NHL career...

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

Uh, might wanna do some reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_Little

Scrw reading I have money. Also wth is wrong with my keyboard it keeps missing letters I just read my previous post apparently people were eaten insted of beaten.

Yea I thought he was using chicken littles the way I've heard people use little chicadees. Glad I was just being pleasant rather than "WTF is a chicken little it's little chiadees rofl lmao ur dum" hey look chiadees instead of chicadees isn't this a new keyboard? I guess I need to be more careful when I type

 

[Hi ImHFNYR]

I agree with you on Nash and Lundqvist but our "amazing defense" scares exactly no one in the league.
We have to hope and pray that McIIrath develops into the big, tough nasty crease clearing defenseman that we haven't had here in 15 years and that Miller will eventually become our 2nd line center.
Unfortunately, right now we are too easy to play against!

There's holes b/c Sauer got hurt and Bobby 'not Giroux' Sanguinetti didn't pan out. The Sauer injury murdered what should be the best D in the league. Girardi is routinely just below All star or at all star status and so is Staal and like I said McD is a legit Norris candidate to me I love watching him play. 2 almost all stars and a norris? not many can say that.

MDZ is also a solid D man who could play anywhere in the league so we need at least 1 more D man for the bottom pair who specializes in defense (ie gilroy sucks). Stralman was really good last year I hope he is just struggling to start like most of the team and that he will get back to playing like he did last year soon and I thought Eminger played perfectly fine and that he can be our 6 if Bickle continues to prove he's an abomination.

Do we have an all time Defense? Not this year. But compared to the league I think it's got to be on par with everyone else

I feel very confident that McI will at least be a good 2nd/3rd pair guy who eats minutes without also killing the team. (To say nothing about his crease presence and hitting plays). Unfortunately that's not going to be for at least another year.

Hell who knows maybe Sauer comes back next season? (Betting -10000 bucks on that...yea negative)

Again keep in mind I am looking at this in terms of this year AND years to come. That top 4 D, nash, Lundqvist, Callahan, Richards is a great template ( assume we lose Gabs after this year). We have already added peices like Stepan, hagelin, Boyle and I think Pyatt is a great piece too. So to improve our depth we need some combo of

McI, Miller, Kreider, Fasth, Lindberg,

starting next year start to replace and improve on what we are getting from at least TWO of the following for depth purposes

Rupp, Halpern, Bickle, 3rd line Boyle, Asham. I think 4th line Boyle is tremendous and he can fill in as a 3rd but that we need a player who is better overall there on the 3rd. It's not about point production it's about keeping the other team pinned in their zone for awhile, pressuring them and energizing the team with more frequent good shifts. Prust helped do that he was great for the bottom 6. Fed helped too. Losing Anisimov I think was the most massive blow to our depth. He was not a consistent offensive presence but he could slot on any line and provide good solid hockey obviously much better than Rupp, Halpern, Boyle or Asham could. The trade was good though and Feds/Prust got old/expensive I'm not mad we lost them but we have to find a way to replace them better if we want to be the dynasty we are capable of being going forward. For this year I think this team will get practice time, develop chemistry and figure it out.

As of now we are certainly a good team with cup potential that is loaded with new faces and old faces in new places with no practice. I think we will have a good season this year for sure and am very happy looking forward